Welcome to Olympia School District's Welcome Room Program
The Welcome Room is a program designed to assist homeless and at-risk students and their families within the Olympia School District. Our program serves approximately 500 homeless students every school year.
View the Welcome Room brochure for more information
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act defines homelessness as the following living situations:
- Shelter, vehicle or campground
- Street, 24-hour restaurants, bus stations, etc.
- Motel
- Displaced due to natural disaster (hurricane, flood, earthquake, etc.)
- Temporary placement in foster care or group home
- Abandoned building, trailer or other inadequate accommodations
- Doubled up with friends or relatives due to inability to find affordable housing
- “Couch surfing”
- “Bounced around” from family member to family member
- Unaccompanied youth living on their own
People to contact for students who are homeless
- Sarah Greenwell is the Homeless Liaison for the Olympia School District and can be reached at (360) 596-6313 or sgreenwell@osd.wednet.edu.
Community resources for students who are homeless
- 2-1-1 – This is a telephone number that provides information on resources and services in the community, such as for physical & mental health, employment support, utility shutoff & eviction notices, etc.
- Friendship Fund – Funds can be spent on needy students for clothes and school supplies. Contact Sarah Greenwell at (360) 596-6313 for more information.
- WEA Children’s Fund – Members of the Washington Education Association can be reimbursed up to $100/year/student for clothes and school supplies. Please contact your child’s teacher or school counselor for information.
- Shoe bank – The Masonic Temple has a shoe giveaway program for students and their younger siblings in the 3 area school districts: Olympia School District, North Thurston County & Tumwater. For a shoe voucher, please contact your school counselor or Sarah Greenwell at 596-6313.
- Food Backpack Program – families are able to bring home food packets on Fridays for the weekend. Please contact your school counselor or Sarah Greenwell at (360) 596-6313 if you are interested in your child participating.
- The South Puget Sound Reading Foundation and First Book offer free books to needy students. Generally, these books are appropriate for grades K-8.
- The Family Support Network Community has a resource guide available online at http://homelessadvocacy.wikispaces.com/. The Family Support Network can be reached by calling (360) 528-8999.
Rights of students who are homeless
- You have the right to register your student(s) for school even if you do not have your full documentation such as immunization records, utility bill, birth certificate, etc.
- Once registered, your student(s) can begin attending school within 1 or 2 days.
- Your student(s) have the right to stay in the same school even if you move, if it is feasible and in the best interests of the child.
- Your student(s) will be provided with school transportation with school buses, city bus passes, or gas vouchers.
- Your student(s) are entitled to free lunch and breakfast without the need to fill out the form.
- Your student must not be isolated or stigmatized.
- The above services continue until the end of the school year in which homelessness ends for that family.
- Each school district must have a Homeless Liaison. Sarah Greenwell is the Homeless Liaison of the Olympia School District and can be reached at (360) 596-6313.